Barbancourt 25 yo 'Réserve Veronelli' (43%, OB, Haiti, for Italy, 1,196 bottles, 1977) Veronelli is a name that rings a bell in the world of whisky, since that Italian gentleman also used to select great old whiskies, such as a Bruichladdich 1966 via Moon Import (WF 91). This was distilled in the early 1950s, or maybe even before.
Colour: red mahogany.

Nose: This one’s rich, fruity, jammy, and full of… black cherries. At times, you would think this is oak-aged Burgundian guignolet (cherry liqueur) but sugarcane, candy sugar, bananas flambéed, molasses, almond oils, marzipan and, yes, Fernet-Branca are soon to come to the rescue. And roasted chestnuts! Lovely ‘dark’ nose, full of depth.

Palate: Sweet, extremely raisiny, some would call it ‘a little armagnacqy’. In a good way, of course, despite an obvious tannicity. It may have been a style that early lovers of dark spirits used to favour, but to me it does feel a notch ‘out of fashion’. In short, a lot of candy sugar, quite a lot of burnt oak, and a good dose of coffee. Or better yet, coffee liqueur ala Kahlua or Tia Maria. But it’s very good, just a little ‘antique’.

Finish: Medium, molassy, rich, sherried (-like), burnt in a good way. Drops of lapsang souchong in the aftertaste, as well as orange marmalade and perhaps mango jam.

Thoughts: We know some recent brands that are trying to fake this rich style, don’t we.

This bottling to date from the 1970, specifically 1977. It was bottled by Barbancourt especially for the Italian Luigi Veronelli and is said to have consisted of supposedly only 1,196 bottles. At that time Barbancourt still possessed pot stills.
Colour: Dark amber.

Nose: First I smell mangoes and other unknown exotic fruits. Then light butter flavours, intertwined with floral aromas. The rum reminds of the old "Caronis", but he lacks their "dirty" taste. It is a very compact nose for 43%. Also tar and grassy sugarcane flavours are in the nose. The rum has a very weak adhesive nose.

Palate: A mild but subtle sweetness floods the mouth. I taste tar and floral aromas, interwoven with sugarcane. Again, these weak adhesive note. No bitterness. The barrel flavors are rather hidden in the background of the flavour-profile. This includes savory flavors and oak. The fruit comes a bit too short and is to taste only at the beginning. Mangoes and some other fruits.

Finish: Light butter flavors, intertwined with bitter overtones and not sweet sugarcane form the beginning. Again, there are briefly floral aromas. The rum is slightly dry towards the end.

Thoughts: This version is not as good as the younger one with 15 YO from Rumaniac sharing. It is not bad, but it is not awesome.

A craft bottling from 1977, made by Luigi Veronelli of Milan, who had visited Haiti and was so impressed with the Big B, he was granted permission to take a few barrels. Outturn 1196 bottles, 43%. Note the age statement...greater than 25 years. One can only sigh with envy.
Nowadays, fresh pressed cane juice is no longer used to make Barbancourt rums, but reduced syrup; and the old Charentaise still is gone, replaced by more modern apparatus. This allows greater volume, but perhaps some of the older taste profile has been sacrificed, as this rum implies.

Palate: Medium to light body. Remarkably smooth, wish it had been a bit less thin. Fruity, of the just ripening, sharp kind - grapes, apples just sliced...wtf? Let me check that again. Mmm...yes, it was as I said. Also: the watery clarity of peeled cucumbers (no, really); more tea, some smoke, faint vanilla, toffee, nougat and caramel, but also well melded with more "standard" agricole flavours of grass, green tea. Really goes down well. Perhaps I was wrong, though...let's try another sip. Nope, still good.

Finish: Not too long. Some last smoky, aromatic tobacco notes, a bit of dried fruit. You can help it along with another taste. Perhaps three. A rum this old and this rare deserves to be generously sampled. All in the name of science, of course.

Thoughts: There's a subterranean voluptuousness, a complex richness coiling inside this rum that I cannot recall from the current stable of Barbancourt's products, even the 15 year old. Maybe it was the 2010 earthquake that destroyed much of Barbancourt's old stock; maybe it's the still; maybe it's just the history. Whatever the case, I understand why so many Europeans on a grail quest for it.